Purposeless Paranoia
by Avid Reider
Summary: When you work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, you can sometimes get a bit paranoid. But is it actually paranoia if something really IS wrong? Reid learns the answer, and the team learns just how much they need their youngest member.
1. Shards of Ice

Purposeless Paranoia

CHAPTER 1: Shards of Ice

It was a cool night. Spencer Reid appreciated the crispness of the Autumn air as he sat on the bench. He enjoyed reading in the park, especially just after the sun set. Turning the page of his book, his eyes flitted from the novel to the brush near him as he heard something.

'No need to be paranoid, it's just the breeze,' he thought to himself casually.

Returning his attention to the book, he caught a slight movement to his left. He stood up to to home; he was getting a little creeped out and it was late anyway. Walking on the path out of the open park, he jumped when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Reid, it's Hotch. I need you to come into the office, we have an urgent case."

"Okay, I'm-"

He didn't get to finish as he felt a prick in his neck and everything suddenly went black.

**Hotch**

Hotch sat down at his desk, checking the time. 6:20 pm on a Saturday night. Sighing, he picked up the phone and dialed the number of Spencer Reid.

Reid answered the phone after a moment. Hotch smiled a bit imagining the young genius reading a huge dictionary on a Saturday night. Quickly becoming serious and getting to the point, he asked Reid to come in for a new case. Reid began to respond and Hotch became alert when he heard a grunt and the dead ring of the dial tone.

Hotch hurriedly redialed him, but it went straight to voice mail. Trying to think logically, he reasoned that Spencer had bumped into something and dropped his phone. He relaxed slightly and assured himself that he would see his teammate shortly, despite the nagging feeling in his gut. Reid was fine, no need to be paranoid.

**Thirty minutes later**

The BAU team gathered around the round table in the conference room as Garcia took her place in front of the presentation screen. It took a moment for everyone to realize that they were one person short.

"Where's Reid?" Prentiss asked as she noticed that there was no one endlessly rambling about the statistics of something or other.

"I didn't see him come in," Garcia commented.

"I called him. I said we have a case, and he was responding when he got cut off and the line went dead. I put it off as nothing, but now..." Hotch felt guilty and worried as he became increasingly regretful of his inaction.

Anxiety filled the room, and Hotch was about to tell Garcia to trace the young profiler's cell when the team leader's own cell phone rang. Noting that the caller's identity was unspecified, he answered it.

"Agent Hotchner speaking," Hotch said.

"Ah, Aaron Hotchner. Been a while." The mystery voice paused, as if expecting a response. "Well, I'll get right to the point. I have taken Spencer Reid, and you would do well to follow my instructions." Hotch hurriedly put the phone on speakerphone, gesturing for the team to pay attention. Everyone listened as the Unsub spoke again. "By now I'm sure that your whole team is there, so listen up. Penelope Garcia, I'm warning you not to attempt to track this call or any other communication that is made to you. It won't work. I will know if you try, and your precious Reid will be punished severely. Derek Morgan, I know you are just itching to punch the wall and growl a threat or two, but do either and your Pretty Boy may not be so pretty anymore. Jennifer Jareau, do not involve the press or anyone outside of the team. David Rossi, no mind tricks. Emily Prentiss, no insubordination. And finally, Aaron Hotchner," the Unsub said Hotch's name with pure loathing, "One wrong move and he will pay. You'll receive contact shortly, along with instructions and a little...incentive for your cooperation." He hung up, leaving a deafening silence. Garcia sat dumbfounded for a second, too shocked for tears, then began typing frantically.

"Garcia, what are you doing?" Hotch thought she had heard that she could not track the call.

"I'm tracing Reid's cell phone. He didn't say I couldn't do that."

"Good. Try to see if anyone's hacked into the security system, he's gonna keep an eye on us somehow, and if it's not electronically then search for any employees with records or any recent suspicious activity. Also, have JJ help you look through old case files for anyone that has a grudge against me or Reid, the Unsub seems focused on us. Morgan, I want you and Prentiss to search Reid's house for any signs of a struggle. Rossi, we're gonna wait for that contact arriving shortly, we might catch the Unsub leaving a package here. Everyone get to work."

After the allotment of jobs was completed and everyone set to work, Hotch processed the situation. Reid had been kidnapped again, was in danger again, and once again the Unit Chief felt wracked with guilt.

**Reid**

Groaning, Reid awoke. His head was pounding and he felt groggy and confused. He remembered talking to Hotch, getting jabbed with a syringe, and then...nothing. Trying to bring his hands to his head, he realized he couldn't. He was sitting in a chair with his ankles and torso bound to it by rope. His hands were tied behind the chair, leaving him vulnerable. He became slowly more aware of his surroundings and quickly more scared. The concrete floor beneath his bare feet was cold. The walls were also concrete and bore no windows, instantly bringing to mind a dungeon, or more likely, basement. He was in the middle of the room, under a lone light bulb, and facing a plain wooden door.

Just as he was about to yell for help, the door opened. A man entered and closed it, simply watching his discombobulated hostage for a moment before speaking.

"Hello Spencer, I'm glad you're awake. It's time to have some fun."

Reid looked warily at his captor as the man walked toward him. While the young man was terrified, he forced himself to calm down a bit and profile the Unsub. He was tall and muscular, obviously an alpha-male personality. He was calm and collected; staid and stoic in composure. Reid was thrown off a bit though at his eyes. They were completely unobscured by his short-cropped hair; the man's eyes were a striking, piercing blue, like shards of ice, almost emotionless. What alarmed Reid was the hidden eagerness, the earnest zealousness and enthusiasm locked away, hidden carefully to control his emotions and appear tough. This hint of excitement grew as the man watched his hostage squirm uncomfortably against his bindings.


	2. Purposeful Propositions

_**Author's Note: Hey everyone, thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites. I'm glad that people like my writing so far, for this is my first fanfic. I just hope that this chap is as good as the last! Sorry it's so short, I suppose it's a transition chap of sorts. Reviews are satisfying, please comment on your opinion of my writing. I also greatly appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Thanks!**_

CHAPTER 2: Purposeful Propositions

**BAU**

The team gathered around the round table in the briefing room. They were anxious, and determined to bring Reid home.

"Alright, what've we got?" Hotch said wearily. He'd spent two hours waiting for contact from the Unsub with little to show for it. He'd also put a lot of effort into convincing Chief Strauss to reassign their urgent case. She was more understanding when Hotch explained why.

Morgan spoke up first. "Prentiss and I found nothing out-of-place at Reid's apartment. We didn't see his messenger bag or his cell phone, so he may have gone out before he was taken."

"My search was just as fruitless. I couldn't get a location on Reid's phone. Also, the FBI does a good job with background checks when it comes to employees. There are a few with suspicious activity, but they're not in our section and have no connection to Hotch or Reid. There are plenty of people with grudges, mostly baddies on the loose." Garcia reported glumly.

"Let's start with the profile. He's most likely an alpha-male with psychopathic tendencies. He is methodical, but has underlying anger that is driving him to gloat. He also has a problem with authority figures, judging by the way that he demonstrated his power over us. Also by challenging me, singling me out as the leader."

Rossi joined in. "He is very specific when it comes to safety precautions, and telling us to keep it secret. He's got something to lose, more than just his freedom."

Morgan stood up, pacing impatiently. "He's putting us on edge by making us wait for the contact to 'arrive shortly'. He wants us nervous, unarmed, docile. He wants to throw us off our game and to have control. And if he can't get it, he'll take it out on Spencer to assert his control, if not for himself, then for someone else." Morgan looked up, thoughtful. "Guys, what if he's doing this for someone else?"

"How do you mean?" Prentiss inquired.

Morgan sat down, deep in thought. "Well, I noticed that while he was speaking, he was careful about his words. Almost as if he was trying to hide something. Once he stumbled over "I" as if he was about to say some thing, or someone, else. He could have a partner."

**Reid**

Reid averted his eyes, nervous under the intense glare of his captor. After a few minutes, he spoke shakily.

"What do you want?" he said, hating how timid he sounded.

The Unsub replied immediately. "Why don't you tell me, profiler."

Reid gulped as the man raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Well?"

"I... I don't know."

"Oh, come on, Spencer. You can do better than that. Go on. I attacked you from behind with sedatives, tied you up. What kind of person am I? What does the 'profile' say I'll do next?"

Reid glanced at him, unsure if it'd anger him. "Well, you're obviously not hiding your identity, so attacking from behind showed... caution. You're afraid that I'll try to escape, or that I'll attempt something, so you tied me up." Reid's confidence grew as he became more indignant. "You know my profession, how I could manipulate you into releasing me, but your ego wants to let me try, so that you can show that you cannot be beat. You are a coward, and an impotent one at that." He flinched at what he'd just said, scared of the consequences. But the man just chuckled.

"Well, we'll just have to see about that, now won't we?" he outright laughed at Reid's disturbed expression.

A woman walked into the room. "Yes, we will."


	3. Misleading Leads

**_Author's Note: Hello everybody! Okay, first matter of business: a small segment of this chap was suggested by a friend. You know who you are, A.F. Anyway, he deserves credit (in some form), so thanks. Also, the name of one of the Unsubs was inspired by some friends, you know who you two are. I'm going to try to update this story every day. Thanks to everyone following the story. And one more thing; when I'm reading a fanfic, I want to write a review. The only problem is that the story is, for example, a few years old, and I don't want to bother the author, if they may not even remember it or know what I'm talking about. So I don't review. And guys, reviews, good or bad, are really awesome. I appreciate the fact that you take your time to help enhance my writing, and by extension, your reading experience. So don't be shy! Okay, here's chapter three for you._**

CHAPTER 3: Misleading Leads

Spencer was befuddled. What could they mean? Certainly nothing good.

"Now, we have an issue. Your little tech, Garcia, tried to trace your phone, and find us." the female said haughtily. "We don't want to be found. We don't like it when people break the rules."

Reid remembered when his male captor had called his team. Reid had been hardly conscious, yet his excellent memory wouldn't let him forget the promise that he'd be 'punished severely' if Garcia tried to track anything.

"So we're gonna send your team a little message. A video. And guess what? You get to be the star," she smirked.

**BAU**

All of the profilers were in the bullpen, at their desks or offices, looking through the files of everyone that had a grudge against Hotch or Reid. Garcia was in her office, still trying to track Reid's cell phone, or where it'd been last. She yelped when her computer dinged, signaling that it'd traced where the phone had been last; the last place it'd been on.

"I got Reid's phone!" she squealed, running as fast as she could in her heels. "Hotch, I found Reid's phone. I texted the address to you!"

Hotch sprung up. "Morgan, Rossi, you take one SUV, I'll drive with Prentiss. JJ and Garcia, keep going through suspects. Let's go!"

They rushed out of the offices and into their vehicles. Hotch reminded them that they're just going where Reid's cell phone had been, but their hope tuned everything out; all they could focus on was getting to Reid, saving Reid.

Driving fast with sirens blaring, they got to the park in no time. The team was visibly disappointed when all they found was the phone, not the owner. After a moment of searching for their team-mate, just in case, Hotchner called it in and requested a CSU.

The team gathered around all that they had, the pieces of Reid's crushed phone. Hotch stooped down and picked it up with a rubber glove. "I guess that we'll have a hard time getting clues off of this."

**One Hour Later**

The crushed cell phone had no evidence that would lead to its owner's location. The profilers had returned to their earlier task of sorting through possible suspects. So far, none stuck out. Hotch was flipping through the looming pile of files when Garcia burst into his office in a flurry of beads and scarves. He noticed that she dressed more wildly the more stressed she became. Pushing his instinctive profiling to the side, he asked, "What is it, Garcia?"

"Sir, I just got an email labeled 'Dr. Spencer Reid' and it has a video file attached. What do I do? Is it the Unsub? Should I watch it alone? Do I-" Hotch held up a hand, signaling silence. "Garcia, get everyone. We should all watch it together." She nodded and click-clacked out in her neon green heels, calling everyone into her den.

Hotch took a deep breath and followed them.

**Reid**

Spencer gasped and groaned. For a while now, his captors had taken turns beating him. He had felt and heard a snap a few times when his ribs were punched, and could only hope that they were not broken. His lip was split, and his left eye was swollen slightly. He looked up defiantly at the Unsubs. They smiled at him, then each other, satisfied.

"Matt, does he look ready to you?" the woman asked. Matt. What a normal name for a psychopath.

"Ready as ever. Kelena, get the webcam. It's movie time." Reid huffed at the man's lame attempt at a humorous comment. The woman sneered and left momentarily.

"You say something, boy?" Reid faltered as Matt stormed up to him.

"N-no." Reid looked away.

That's what I thought," he said. Matt handed Reid a sheet of paper. "This is your script. You will follow it word for word. Otherwise, your team gets to watch another boxing session." Reid nodded. He could certainly take a beating any day for his team, but he didn't know if he could stand the guilt of knowing his team would see that. Then, the woman reentered with the camera on a tripod. Reid blinked nervously. The two Unsubs put on masks and pulled out guns. Standing next to the device, Matt turned it on. Reid watched, wide-eyed, as the red light flickered impatiently. He knew that he had to stick to the script, so he began reading it, getting it over with.

"Hello everybody. I am here because of you. It's all your fault, and I blame you for... everything. I got... punished because you tried to find me. This... is on you. A-and..." Reid looked up at his family, praying that they'd understand, he didn't mean it, he had no choice. Right?

"I hate you."

**Ooh boy, what's the team going to think? Will they understand? We'll see...**


	4. Relevant Revelations

_**Author's Note: Greetings. I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, it just seems so much longer on paper! Also, I'd like to ask for anyone who spots any error in my writing, be it grammar or just an awkward sentence, to please review and correct me. It'll help improve my writing, and your enjoyment of it. Thank you!**_

CHAPTER 4: Relevant Revelations

**BAU**

The second that the image of Reid appeared on the screen, Morgan roared and swung around, throwing a punch at the nearest wall. Hotch instinctively reached up and grabbed the fist, just before it smashed into the wall.

"Morgan, you have to calm down. Remember the Unsub's… Rules." Hotch goaded, almost stuttering on the wretched last word. He absolutely despised the control that the Unsub exhibited over them, the leverage he'd gained. The team's leader could not surrender the little authority he had left. This was the structure and stability that everyone needed to stay focused in a time like this.

Derek growled and turned back to the screen. He was livid at the very idea that Reid had been hurt, and did not know if he could stand the fact that anything he did would only hurt him more. This was his team-mate, his friend, his brother, that was being harmed, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Rossi glared at the screen, furious. The shy, sweet, innocent boy that he knew and loved as a son was right there,_ so close_, and yet so far away. He felt helpless when he saw Spencer's beaten form, his eyes pleading for help. David wanted to see Spencer's timid half-smile just one more time.

Prentiss blanched. No matter how well-trained she was to control her emotions, she could not prevent her reaction to the atrocity before her eyes. Her expression quickly became neutral, but she retained a sickly pale hue.

JJ gasped and covered her mouth, taken aback by Reid's condition. 'He's hurt, oh god, they hurt Spence!' was all she could think. She quickly gathered herself, though, to support Garcia.

Penelope started to cry, then weep, in devastation. Why, why was this happening, why her Baby Boy? She wanted so badly to reach out and hug him. She wanted to tell him everything would be okay. She wanted, no,_ needed_ her Spencer Reid to be safe.

Then Reid began to speak. He was clearly reading the words off of a paper that he shakily held. Everyone knew that the words were not his, that he did not mean them. But this did not make them any less true.

Garcia bawled when Reid said she hated them. Hated _her_. She knew he mustn't mean it.

'Wait,' she thought, 'What if he does? We didn't save him before he got hurt. We didn't even protect him in the first place. He hates us! I didn't find him yet, it's all my fault!' Then a terrible thought hit her. 'Oh my god, what if they hurt him because of me? I traced his phone! I broke the rules! It's _all my fault_!'


	5. ¿Por qué? Porque

**Author's Note: Wow I'd give reasons for my insufferable procrastination but you'd probably see them as excuses, so I'll spare you the trouble of hearing them. It's the least I can do. Sorry for the long wait! Hopefully this quenches your thirst for a little Reid whump here, a little team drama there... enjoy! P.S. the title is for my spanish reviewer(s). Love you all, thanks to everyone for your follows, favorites, and reviews! 3**

CHAPTER 5: ¿Por qué? Porque...

**Reid**

Once the camera stopped recording, Reid glowered at the partners in crime smiling proudly at their belittlement of the federal agent. They were definitely deranged.

"So, Spencer, are you ready?" Matt inquired. Reid blinked confusedly.

"Ready for what?"

"Are you ready to learn why you are here?"

Reid watched him cautiously as he replied that he was.

"Good. Now, we're going to play a little game. I will ask you a question, and you will answer it truthfully. If you lie, answer incorrectly, or refuse to answer, not only will you experience, but your team shall also witness, the repercussions."

Pausing at the strange statement, the restrained federal agent nodded. He had no choice in the matter, and antagonizing the psychopathic criminal would only elicit said repercussions.

"Excellent. Kelena, sadly, shall not participate. Now," he continued as his accomplice exited, "Here is the first question,"

Spencer braced himself for a complex riddle, and was therefore confused when the man said, "Who was the 26th president of the United States?"

Instantly, he rattled off "Theodore Roosevelt."

Matt nodded, "Who invented the piano?"

"Bartolomeo Cristofori."

"What is the square root of pi?"

"1.772453850905516."

"What is the definition of alpha-fetoprotein?"

"A protein produced by a fetus present in amniotic fluid and the bloodstream of the mother. It can be evaluated to discern particular hereditary defects such as Down syndrome."

"How many people have you killed?"

Reid's increasingly confident countenance faltered as he stuttered, "I… what?"

"How many assailants have you shot in the line of duty? How many 'unsubs' did you fail to catch before they killed more? How many people people have you murdered, Dr. Reid?"

Reid noted the abrupt change in Matt's addressing of him, calling him 'Dr. Reid' rather than 'Spencer', as if detaching from him. Interesting. Did he have a repulsion towards homicide? It was more likely that he was just trying to throw the agent off his game.

"I have shot four, and killed three, armed assailants and no murder committed by any other is my fault."

"Wrong." Matt snarled and slunk forward, speaking softly. "You killed Tobias Hankel, but not before he slaughtered those that you could not save. You chose one to live, and innocent people that you swore to protect with your life paid the ultimate price." Reid shook his head to clear his mind. He was lying. It wasn't his fault that those people died. Then, thanks to his analytical, rational mind, he conceded that the truth, no matter how distorted, was still truth.

"I… I couldn't save them. I did what I could, I did my job," he feebly defended himself, almost convincing himself with his logic until he heard Matt's snort.

"You saved yourself. A mentally ill man pointed a gun at you and you just sacrificed those innocent citizens to save yourself. You are a coward."

Spencer looked up at his words. "Me? I'm the coward? I didn't attack a grown man from behind at night, kidnap him with my girlfriend, and tie him to a chair! You are a pusillanimous, insolent psychopath!"

Matt's eyes bulged with an infuriated flame of hatred, his fists clenched, a vein in his neck seemed ready to burst. The man lunged at his captive, flinging the chair back. He landed on the defenseless man. "YOU BASTARD, I'LL SHOW YOU INSOLENT!" He tightened his hands around Reid's neck, effectively cutting off his air supply. Reid thrashed against the man strangling him, but Matt's grip was firm and his mind set. He WOULD NOT disrespect HIM in this way, just outright insult him! He was in no position to affront HIM!

Reid, insanely, was running the profile the whole time. His mind was working overtime with the adrenaline rush of the attack. Due to this hypersensitivity to detail, he realized that his bindings were loose before falling unconscious.

**BAU**

The moment that the video concluded, SSA Aaron Hotchner leapt to work, ordering everyone their tasks.

"Garcia, I need you to analyze this video. Out-standing characteristics of the background, audio analysis, the works. Every pixel is to be inspected and evaluated, got it?"

"Watch my mystically inclined digits finesse these mere mortal machines and work my magic, sugar."

"JJ, continue to sort through past cases with a malefactor holding any grievances. Prentiss, go with Rossi to interview the few suspects that we have. Morgan, we have to meet Mrs. Reid to inform her of, and interrogate her on, Spencer's abduction."

**10 MINUTES LATER**

Set in SSA Aaron Hotchner's office, the two agents and their friend's mother spoke in privacy. "Spencer is _what_?" Diana Reid repeated, not processing the information that she had just received. Her son couldn't have been _kidnapped_, she had just gotten a letter from him yesterday, he was fine! The more that his co-workers explained, the more confused she became, and they had to calm her to make her understand.

"Mrs. Reid, Spencer has been abducted. He was taken yesterday, and his… captor contacted us. Did he project to you that he was in any form of trouble, in any way?" Hotchner repeated patiently. He knew to be considerate of her mental instability and was solicitous.

"I… no, I just got a letter yesterday, he- he said that- he's fine! I mean, he told me about your latest adventures, and he loves work, and everything is okay. He's not okay? How did he get into trouble? He was always such a good boy…"

"Diana," Morgan tried to steer the conversation away from any irrelevant tangents that could deter their investigation, "We need your help to save your son. Has he ever mentioned anyone that you think could do this? Was there a case that was bothering him? Did he mention anything about any unsettled quandaries or the such?"

She concentrated, her features expressing that she was absorbed in her thoughts, then spoke hesitantly. "I think that a while ago, he may have written something about an old case that'd never been solved and he felt guilty. I remember," she reminisced, grinning, "Because I teased him for being so young and already having 'old cases'."

"Mrs. Reid, do you have that letter?" Morgan inquired, sitting forward eagerly. 'Finally,' he thought, 'a lead.'

"Yes, I do. I keep all of his letters on me, it's like having him with me." She pulled a neat envelope out of her handbag. "Please," she implored, "Bring my baby back home."

Morgan looked up with a resolute nod. "That's exactly what we intend to do."

**Garcia**

Penelope sat at her desk morbidly watching the film of Reid and paused it to reach for a tissue. With a great sniffle and a little tear-dabbing, she was prepared to re-analyze the clip when her phone rang.

"Tech-goddess and all-knowing deity of love, how may I be of your service?"

"One 5-star hotel room, candles, roses, and you, sugar. How you been?" Morgan's facetious flirting brought a smile to her face as per usual.

"Alright, under the circumstances. What do you need, babe?"

"Well, we got a letter from Reid to his mom a few months old saying that Reid hadn't solved a case and felt guilty about, but also that he thought they missed something. Hotch wants you to determine what case he's talking about, and who the suspect was. You never know, it could be our guy."

"Sure, I'll get right on it. I assume it's on its way?"

"Yep, and you'll love who's delivering it."

She thanked him and hung up at a knock on her office door. Grinning at the man on the other side, she squealed, "Gideon!" and engulfed him in a bear hug.

"What're you doing here?" she asked. "Your'e here for Reid, right?"

"That' right. I came the second I heard." He nodded toward the computer screen nearest him. "Is that him?"

"Yes," she somberly replied. "It's from his captors. Gideon, it's my fault. I traced his phone. I broke the rules, and they hurt him, and…"

"Shhh," Jason soothed the ashamed woman by hugging her gently. "It's not your fault. These monsters are sadistic, they would have found any excuse they could to hurt both him and us. We have to stay strong, work to get him home safe and sound. You have to be brave for him." Gideon pacified her with an inspirational spiel, glad to see that she'd taken it to heart and focussed on their plight.

"So, can you help me analyze this video? You could focus on the audio while I inspect the visual feed." she offered.

"Absolutely," he agreed, setting to work.

**Rossi and Prentiss**

Exiting the decrepit house, the two agents sighed exasperatedly. Apparently, they'd just crossed a suspect off their list. No one_ that _insane could pull this off.

"Did you see that hamster?" Emily sniggered. "That man was practically married to it, he talked to _it_ more than _us_!"

"I think that he was talking to the parakeet," Rossi commented. "We'd best tell JJ, just to make sure she doesn't spend too much time looking into that case."

Emily nodded, pulling out her cell phone.

"That's strange," she muttered. "No reception…" they looked at each other and armed themselves, quickly visually searching the area. They'd just had a reception before their entrance of the house, but now, nothing. Their suspicions were well-founded; this could be no coincidence. Right?

Relaxing slightly, they headed towards the car. They could just be being paranoid. Right? David and Emily pondered the strange occurrence as they opened the car doors.

k -a - _B - O - O - M_

**Drama! Any questions, PM me.**


	6. Alarm

**Well, here's chapter 6. Finally. I do apologize for the delay, and how short this chapter is. I've been busy finishing/catching up on Torchwood, Supernatural, Charmed, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Can't say I'm sorry for that, though, can I?**

CHAPTER 6: Alarm

When Prentiss awoke, she didn't move. Where was she? She felt the rough pressure of pavement, but it was hard to tell with the distracting pounding headache. When she mustered ample focus, she opened her eyes and dragged herself up. Standing on unsteady legs with knees wobbling, the federal agent looked around, disoriented. The view was fogged by heavy smoke drifting from a flaming car. Then it hit her; she remembered opening the passenger side door of that SUV when it just exploded! How long had she been out? Was Rossi alive? Resolving in seeking out her partner, Prentiss scrutinized her injuries as she limped onward. There were numerous lacerations and contusions scattered, a nasty slash on her left calf. From the sickening grinding in her chest, there were evidently some broken ribs, and the agonizing throb on her right indicated a dislocated shoulder. 'If David's unconscious,' she thought begrudgingly, 'I'll have to reset it myself.'

Here she reached the opposite side of the vehicle blown asunder and ran to the lax form of the man.

Ash begrimed his face and blood stained his clothes. Prentiss shook him awake, smiling at his now open eyes and confused expression.

"Emily, what... what happened? Are you hurt?" his frown spread.

"I think the Unsub bombed our car. I'm fine, but let's worry about you for now." Gingerly her hands peeled away his blood-soaked jacket to reveal a jagged shard of metal protruding from his stomach.

"Oh, Rossi..." she cringed. "Okay, hold still." She took off her blazer and applied pressure to the wound. He gasped and screwed his eyes shut in pain. "Sorry, sorry..." she mumbled. Leaning in, she promised, "I'll be right back, I'm going to get help." She knew she shouldn't leave him prone and vulnerable, but they'd need backup immediately. With a sigh, she headed to the porch of the house that stood steady as ever, almost mockingly, unscathed by the explosion. She pulled out her gun in a flash as she heard someone inside.

Cautiously Emily nudged open the door, pivoting to scout the inside as efficiently as possible.

"Mr. Parker, are you alright?" she tried to sound calm; this man was mentally deranged, and she did not want to upset him. At her next step into the house she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and collapsed, unconscious.

Reid

Reid jerked awake, hands clutching his throat, which burned from Matt's enraged attack. It took a moment for him to realize that he could clutch his throat. His hands were free! They must have loosened more in the struggle. With an exuberant grin he pulled himself up, untying his restrained ankles. Leaping up but wincing at the subsequent pain he gimped to the door. This could be his chance to escape! When he turned the doorknob and eased open the door, an alarm sounded and he recoiled as it was thrown open by the man he wished least to see.  
**  
Suspense! Is this considered a cliffhanger? Sorry, couldn't help myself. Hopefully I won't keep you waiting too long for the next chapter!**


	7. Author's Note: Apology

A/N: Hello, everyone. I greatly dislike it when writers post an author's note as a chapter, but I kind of need to, so I'm sorry. I'm having a bit of trouble with the story; I'm not sure where I'm going with it. I need a little bit of time to organize my ideas and get the next chapter up. I know I should have a general plan for the plot at this point, but writing in stages and keeping up to a certain pace is new-ish to me and I have to sort my priorities, dedicate more time and thought. If I were to post a chapter now, it would lack quality because I'm not ready. This is my apology, and a notice that I am going to take a bit to work harder on the story, and then you guys won't have to wait for me to catch up. I'm not going to make any promises, but know that this is the best for the story. I'm really very sorry, and thanks for reviewing, following and favoriting! I love you guys!


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